Nvidia fixes hole that turns PCs into remote-control toys for hackers

Nvidia has plugged a critical flaw in its graphics card software that allowed hackers to gain "super-user" access to vulnerable PCs over a network.

The Nvidia GeForce display driver update, version 310.90, also features a number of other bug fixes and performance upgrades.

"The vulnerability allows a remote attacker with a valid domain account to gain super-user access to any desktop or laptop running the vulnerable service," HD Moore, the developer of Metasploit and chief security officer at Rapid7, toldSecurityWeek.

"This flaw also allows an attacker (or rogue user) with a low-privileged account to gain super-access to their own system, but the real risk to enterprises is the remote vector," he added.

The driver update can be downloaded here. The accompanying summary of the update mentions a "security update for the Nvidia Display Driver service (nvvsvc.exe)" in one sentence but concentrates on claimed performance improvements for gamers, particularly fans of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 and Assassin's Creed III.

More details of the update can be found in a bumper 67-page release notes document on Nvidia's website (PDF). ®